A Nigerian Teenage Girl Is Marvel’s New Superhero

Marvel adds to its cadre of wonder women a new teen superheroine, Ngozi. The new comic titled “Blessing in Disguise” is set in Lagos, a real-life African country and Nigeria’s commercial capital.

“Blessing in Disguise” is authored by award-winning Nigeria-American writer Nnedi Okorafor, with Marvel’s first-ever Nigerian superhero inspired by the Chibok girls, part of the high-profile abduction of about 220 schoolgirls by the militant group Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria (2014).

“They were normal girls who suddenly had to deal with a huge change in their lives … and their story of perseverance is so powerful,” Okorafor told Reuters. “Like many Nigerian girls, Ngozi comes in a small package but is strong-willed and determined.”

The English professor at the University of Buffalo added: “I’m a huge Wonder Woman fan, but we can really push it further when it comes to diversity. I’m not just talking about race and sexual orientation, but about having a range of personalities with different desires, dreams and flaws. I don’t only want to see badass female characters, I want to see much less predictable ones.”

The new storyline is part of Marvel’s “Venomverse” comic, which finds Ngozi alongside more established Marvel characters like the Black Panther and Deadpool.